


Here’s to Us

by Ajmilone



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Song Lyrics, Song Parody
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:35:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24919186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ajmilone/pseuds/Ajmilone
Summary: Buffy and Spike meet in a bar post series. Rated for language. Warning: slight Scooby bashing
Relationships: Spike/Buffy Summers
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Here’s to Us

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> Set an undetermined number of years after the BtVS and AtS in an undetermined location. Details are purposefully vague. All you need to know is all other characters are off doing their own thing.

Spike sighed as he shot down the remainder of his drink. Tonight had been just as boring and lonely as last night. He really didn't know why he bothered to go out anymore. There was only one person to see and she wasn't here.

Bloody hell. It couldn't be. It's just wishful thinking. There was no way that was her at the high top across the bar. He shrugged to himself. Couldn't hurt to go say hello, maybe a bit of a flirt would cheer him up.

The blonde at the high top turned around as he approached and favored him with a smile that lit up her entire face. 

"Hello, Spike," Buffy said softly.

"Slayer," Spike gasped, "Buffy. What the bleeding hell are you doing here? Why aren't you in Rome with your honey?"

"My honey?" Buffy looked confused for a minute. "Oh no, that was a decoy. Listen, I was in town to see how the Slayers were operating in this area and heard you were here. I kinda decided not to leave until I found you." She looked down, slightly embarrassed, before looking back up at him. "We both have a lot to catch up on. Sit with me?"

And, damn it, Spike never could deny her anything. He sat tentatively, taking a moment to look at her closely. Buffy was clenching and unclenching her fists in her lap, displaying nervous energy. Spike smiled to himself, grateful that he wasn't the only one on edge with this reunion.

He was about to say something to break the ice when Buffy beat him to it. What a relief, he didn't actually have any clue what to say. As Buffy rambled on about what her life has been like since the destruction of Sunnydale, he took the time to study her. Her golden hair was a bit thinner than he remembered and new worry lines adorned her face. She seemed a bit more fragile than he thought she should be. 

Bloody hell, he thought, isn't anyone taking care of her? Seems as if she is more stressed now that she is one of many than she was before. He sighed internally. Still gorgeous, though.

Listening to her speak, watching her move...all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms, to hold her and never let go. He forced himself back to reality. 

Buffy had reached the point of the story where Andrew had told her that Spike was back but hadn't contacted her. And she wasn't happy.

"It was a real slap in the face," she was saying. "I finally came around, finally came to my senses and admitted that I loved you...and you didn't believe me. You came back and just...didn't want me in your life. So I chose to respect that. I mean, I didn't die, you could have always come find me if you wanted to. And you didn't."

"No, love," Spike started. Part of him understood where she was coming from. The other part was in shock that she would believe that any part of him had fallen out of love with her. Frustrating chit. "I wanted to come find you from the moment I returned. Just...you tell a dying man that you love him and it kinda feels like charity, doesn't it? I wasn't about to force myself into your life if you didn't actually want me." While talking, he had begun to dejectedly slouch in his seat. With a sudden realization, he jolted upright again and pointed at her accusingly. "And what was I supposed to bloody think, when this sodding decoy of yours is slobbering all over the Immortal, of all people. Jesus Christ, Buffy, it was a mistake not coming to find you, but could you really blame me?"

A single tear fell down her cheek as she smiled sweetly at him. "Yes, I can," she said firmly. "But I can understand, too." She wiped at her face and shook it off. "Blah! Enough about me, tell me about what's happened to you!"

So Spike told her about everything that happened to him since he came out of the amulet. He was tempted to make edits to change parts and make himself look like the one and only savior of LA, but he realized that he wanted to be honest with her. He didn't want any lies or secrets between them. So he told her everything.

Finally, they were more or less caught up with the events in each other's lives. An awkward silence settled over their table. Spike wasn't sure where they went from here, how they were going to fit in each other's lives. After a few minutes of the both of them silently twiddling their thumbs and studiously not looking at each other, Spike stood up.

"It was good to see you, Buffy." He paused a moment as emotion overwhelmed him. "Really good. Suppose I'll just...go home now." He gazed at her as if to memorize her face before turning to leave.

"Or," Buffy's voice sounded nervous and unsure, "We could stick around for just one more drink?" Spike stopped and turned back to her, cursing the hope that rose up in his chest. "We could, I don't know, grab another bottle?"

"Yeah," Spike agreed, relieved that she had asked him to stay. "Got the important talk out of the way. Let's shoot the shit."

"For just one more drink," Buffy reiterated warningly. "Buffy and alcohol are unmixy things."

"Oh, I remember, pet," he laughed. He gestured to the server walking by their table and ordered a bottle to do shots with his Slayer. This would be a night to remember....er...assuming no one got blackout drunk, that is. 

When the bottle arrived, he poured them each a drink. Buffy immediately raised her glass in a toast.

"Here's to us!"

Taken by surprise, Spike opted to one up her toast. It was time to remind her that he was serious, that he never stopped caring for her. He looked deep into her eyes so that she would have no question about what he meant. "Here's to love."

Buffy blushed and clinked glasses. "All the times that we fucked up." With that, she tossed her drink down. Spike tilted his head at her in speculation before following suit.

"Wasn't expecting language like that from you, Slayer."

"Oh please, you've heard me say worse."

Spike laughed and poured more into his glass. "Here's to you," he said solemnly, nodding to her.

"Hey!" Buffy laughed and waved her cup at him. "Fill the glass!" Spike raised an eyebrow at her but complied. "The last few days have kicked my ass."

Spike laughed again before polishing off his shot. "Two swears in a row. You must be feeling off. Where are your beloved Scoobies?"

"I'm actually not sure. I know Giles is in London, heading the new Watcher's Council. The others have all kinda gone their separate ways. We, um, don't really stay in contact all that much anymore."

"Wankers."

"Spike!"

"After everything you've done for them, they can't bother to stay in touch?" Spike thudded his fist on the table. "Let's give 'em hell, Slayer, come on! We can find them and rough them up a bit."

Buffy laughed and, oh, that was a miraculous sound. It had been far too long since he heard her express joy. "No no, I wish everybody well, I really do." She seemed lost in thought for a moment before perking back up and pouring them each a shot again. "Anyway, forget the others. I'm here with you, right now. So, here's to us!"

Putting the empty glasses down, the pair looked at each other thoughtfully. Finally, Spike spoke up. "You know, we really have been through a lot together. Really shredded each other apart." Buffy slumped at his words, looking down at her hands in shame. "But we grew from that. Towards the end, there...it was beautiful." He poured them each a drink. "Let's toast cause things got better."

Buffy smiled at him but didn't raise her glass. "It was beautiful. You're right. But then you died, Spike. And I feel like you're trying to lead up to where we are going to go from here, but...I'm scared. Everything could change like that," she snapped her fingers, "and all these years go by so fast. It seems like you got your soul just yesterday. Feels like I told you I loved you as you died just five minutes ago. My head is spinning and not just from the alcohol. I'm afraid to start anything because nothing lasts forever. And I couldn't bear it if we got together and it ended."

Well, that had escalated quickly. He went from reminiscing and reassuring her to thinking about how he could possibly leave here with Buffy on his arm. And her concerns weren't unfounded. Time did fly by. But she didn't seem to realize that there was no way in hell he would ever leave her if she let him in.

Not wanting to overwhelm her, he settled for being sweet and reassuring. He wanted to comfort her and give her the space to come to him. He raised his still full glass. "Here's to us."

Buffy smiled tremulously and raised her glass, as well. "Here's to love."

Spike felt a thrill run through him. "And all the times that we messed up."

Buffy caught his arm before he could drink. "Could we not drink to messing things up?"

Spike gave her a wry look. "If we hadn't messed up so much, pet, we wouldn't be here now." He lifted his glass again, saying, "Here's to you, love" and tossed the drink back.

Buffy still hadn't had her shot. Spike held out his empty cup. "Fill the glass," he instructed. Buffy just stared at him, so he decided to quote her words back at her. "The last few nights have kicked my ass."

Buffy laughed and filled his glass. She finally lifted her drink and they shared a shot. After a grimace and a shudder, she put her glass down. "You know," she started, "I may be better about not gagging over every drink I take, but Willow and Xander still gave me hell the last time I saw them."

"Tell them to go fuck themselves," Spike spat. When Buffy looked at him in surprise, he shook his head. "No, sorry, love. I'll never get over how they kicked you out of your own house. How it turned out that you were right and how you saved the world...and where are they? Where is the loyalty? No, I'm gonna hold on to that anger for a bit longer."

"Well, if you're going to be a part of my life, you're going to have to get over yourself and forgive them," Buffy shot back. Spike froze, poleaxed.

"A part of your life?

Buffy blushed. "When I kissed you after our big musical extravaganza, I never would have thought that things would go the way they did.We made huge mistakes, hurt each other in ways that I don't need to spell out. But, in the end, I wouldn't trade those things. Because they moved us forward. From our kind of break up, to what happened in the bathroom," Spike shamefacedly looked down at the table, "to you getting your soul....right up until your death. Our relationship would get hurt, but it wouldn't break down. I think we're ready for whatever comes our way."

Spike looked up at her, finally allowing himself to acknowledge the love that flowed through him. He reached across the table and took her hand, earning him an encouraging smile. He felt himself shaking. 

"Buffy, love," he stopped when he realized his voice was hoarse, raspy with emotion. He cleared his throat and pushed the poetry that he wanted to spout at her back. "Buffy...wanna get out of here?"

Buffy squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Yes, Spike. I wanna get out of here. And then I want to go wherever you go. Cause after everything we've been through, I don't want to let you out of my sight ever again."

“Well, then," Spike grinned and poured the last of the bottle into each of their glasses and picked his up to toast to her, "here's to us."

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s To Us
> 
> by Halestorm
> 
> We could just go home right now  
> Or maybe we could stick around  
> For just one more drink, oh yeah  
> Get another bottle out  
> Lets shoot the shit  
> Sit back down  
> For just one more drink, oh yeah
> 
> Here's to us, here's to love  
> All the times that we fucked up  
> Here's to you, fill the glass  
> 'Cause the last few days have kicked my ass  
> So lets give 'em hell  
> Wish everybody well, here's to us, here's to us
> 
> Stuck it out this far together  
> Put our dreams through the shredder  
> Let's toast 'cause things got better  
> And everything could change like that  
> And all these years go by so fast  
> But nothing lasts forever
> 
> Here's to us, here's to love  
> All the times, that we messed up  
> Here's to you, fill the glass  
> 'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass  
> If they give ya hell  
> Tell em to go fuck themselves, here's to us, here's to us
> 
> Here's to all that we kissed  
> And to all that we missed  
> To the biggest mistakes  
> That we just wouldn't trade  
> To us breaking up  
> Without us breaking down  
> To whatever's comin' our way
> 
> Here's to us, here's to love  
> All the times that we fucked up  
> Here's to you, fill the glass  
> 'Cause the last few days have kicked my ass  
> So lets give 'em hell  
> Wish everybody well
> 
> Here's to us, here's to love  
> All the times, that we messed up  
> Here's to you, fill the glass  
> 'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass  
> If they give ya hell  
> Tell em to go fuck themselves, here's to us, here's to us (Go fuck themselves)
> 
> Here's to us, here's to us  
> Here's to us, here's to us  
> Here's to us, here's to love  
> Here's to us, wish everybody well  
> Here's to us, here's to love  
> Here's to us, here's to us 
> 
> https://youtu.be/KC0DNLDXJW8


End file.
